When we drew Maribor I wrote about their performance in last season’s Europa League, when they were eliminated by eventual winners, Sevilla. Our man, Blaz, in Slovenia, also warned me that this was a settled team who had improved since ending Rangers’ interest in European football three years ago.
I watched Red Bull Salzburg destroy Ajax in Amsterdam last season with some sublime football, and my pal in Austria tells me not to put too much store in their 3-0 humbling by Malmo, who, apparently, rode their luck to an incredible degree. Having said that, on the balance of probabilities, they are by far the top seed we would have chosen.
As Croatia Zagreb, Dinamo Zagreb bossed Celtic out of the Champions League play-off round in 1998, our first attempt at the tournament. Zagreb’s stock has fallen since, so while you could make a good case to suggest we are far from ready to tackle any European team right now, this is a good draw. They are also not Legia Warsaw, which would have been an unwelcome confrontation at this time.
So far, so good. Then we draw a complete unknown from pot 4, who happened to eliminate Lyon in the last round.
Between now and the middle of next month Celtic have to be ready for these challenges. We have an opportunity to progress in the Europa League, earn some badly needed coefficient points, and revenue in the second half of the season.
Bring it on.
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Davidopoulos
Show any form of weakness with the moaners and doubters, and the Huns in here, and they will stand on your throat, I just give as good as I get, no more, no less, they don’t like me, and I don’t like them, Ffs one of them is going to sue me, lol, and another one grassed up where I drink, they dish it out but don’t like it back.
Whit about the Curry Sauce…eh..eh.
Paddy T
Any CQN bhoys (or ghirls) fancy a few beers this evening in Glasgow myself and a cpl of others will be in the Blane Valley from around 4(ish) if anyone fancies a beer and moan about Celtic etc please feel free to join us ;-)
HH
I found PL’s interview to be pretty reasonable and in it he explains our current strategy quite clearly. I’m very disappointed about where that strategy is taking us though and I do wonder if there is a better way we could go about things.
Many on this blog have criticism of the board’s current approach and some clearly want to sack them. In the previous ‘sack the board’ era there was an alternative strategy being mooted and that gained considerable support but this time there is nothing. This is a serious ommission for those who want a big change in direction. I currently back the present board becuase in the circumstances I reckon they are doing reasonably well. I would though be interested in hearing alternative strategies so that I could judge whether or not they would improve our situation. If those who seek change want support from Celtic fans they should explain their alternative vision and give us something that we could add our support to.
Mweanwhile I’m looking forward to the EL ties and I’m hopeful that we can get out of the group.
Neg Anon
“TBB thanks for the correction. However my point was that not every penny does get spent on the club remains.”
It’s worse than that we waste money on hiring police for the match and the only things they kick for Celtic are the GB youngsters.
We waste money on tea ladies who can’t take a decent throw-in.
And not one of the stewards is an adequate back up should Craig Gordon break down.
Down with this spending on non-team matters, I say.
squire danaher
No, I’m happy the way the clubs being ran, your not, that’s ok, you try and change it, but you won’t get any help from me, not that you’d need it.
tonydonnelly67
13:38 on 29 August, 2014
Davidopoulos
Show any form of weakness with the moaners and doubters, and the Huns in here, and they will stand on your throat, I just give as good as I get, no more, no less, they don’t like me, and I don’t like them, Ffs one of them is going to sue me, lol, and another one grassed up where I drink, they dish it out but don’t like it back.
——————————————————————————
Point taken. I’m not judging anyone here. The most dismaying part of this week for me personally is level that this place has descended to.
The antagonism from both sides has to stop.
EL match-days will be:
18 September, 2 October, 23 October, 6 November, 27 November, and 11 December 2014
Therefore:
Sun, 21st Sep Motherwell Scottish Premiership TBC H
Sun, 5th Oct Hamilton Scottish Premiership TBC H
Sun, 26th Oct Kilmarnock Scottish Premiership TBC H
Sun, 9th Nov Aberdeen Scottish Premiership TBC A
Sun, 30th Nov League Cup Week? (unknown Opponents)
Sun, 13th Dec St Mirren Scottish Premiership TBC H
Leaving Sat, 1st Nov Inverness CT Scottish Premiership 15:00 H
as our only home game until Christmas; they’ll probably change that ;-}
bjmac
13:25 on 29 August, 2014
Philbhoy
I’m good, you & family?
I was around your town on Sunday for a wee while.
“…….
How did you find Bo’ness?
JFH,
Mjallby was very clear that his ambition for Celtic didn’t match the clubs so he left.
His ambition was to push on a bit more or to stay where we where. Celtic obviously think they can achieve the status quo with less spend more transfer income and an inexperienced manager. Wee bit of a gamble.
Astra could be a problem at set pieces. They’re very good on corners.
It always amazes me how people can’t separate real life from the internet. It is possible that people who offer a critique of any aspect of the club, could be the most vocal of positive of supporters where it counts, i.e. when there’s 11 guys in the Hoops running about in front of them. What’s said on a message board, I believe has no effect on the performance of any department of the club, while you can however make out that you’re absolutely the bestest Celtic supporter ever.
Neganon
The dividend is small beer. A distraction.
The bigger issue is the hoarding of cash which does nothing for us actively, and serves only as a safety net in the event that performance on the park fails to deliver the income we need to sustain ourselves.
In that sense, it’s simultaneously self fulfilling and self defeating: We hoard the cash in case we screw up, we screw up because we haven’t bought the requisite players, and then use the cash to cover the losses.
To put it in some perspective, we could elect to redeem all of the CCP shares with the cash we have and get rid of the annual dividend paid.
At the moment, these shares trade at 75p each, and there are 16 million of them in circulation.
My fag packet says we have just about enough cash at year end to redeem the lot of them in a oner.
There you go. Spend £12M cash to save £527,000 per year dividend.
Does that advance us any?
Patently the “every penny reinvested” line has been shelved, which is why I was surprised to hear PL come out with it again today. Over the past couple of years this has not been the case.
Unless there is some dramatic transfer action in the next 48 hours, it will not be the case for the coming year. That’ll be 3 years in succession where the club have been successively cash positive over the term.
Why are we hoarding cash? That’s the central question to be asked.
In my view, of course.
TBB
squire danaher
13:37 on 29 August, 2014
tonydonnelly67
13:29 on 29 August, 2014
Mullet and co 2
Clubs being ran fine, we’re out of the CL , but so are lots of other clubs, it’s football, deal with it, what you want administration?
——–
Are you taking the piss??
……………………………………………
tony donnelly
To be fair, eddieinkirkmichael did not grass you up re your drinking establishment choice. You had already confessed in writing several times on here. The “grass” lives in the same house as you.
B2k
You won’t get any, they just like moaning,and most are Huns byway, so who GAF.
Sftb,
The tea ladies can certainly take a decent free kick sometimes. Remember Aggie duffing up the beast?
SFTB
You forgot about the Currie Sauce being done away with
Paddy T
squire danaher
13:37 on 29 August, 2014
tonydonnelly67
13:29 on 29 August, 2014
Mullet and co 2
Clubs being ran fine, we’re out of the CL , but so are lots of other clubs, it’s football, deal with it, what you want administration?
——–
Are you taking the piss??
……………………………………………
I’m sure that he is given the level of stupidity he constantly posts.
C’mon Tony, tell us you are taking the piss, then we can get on with some decent debate.
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
HH
A good draw,a chance to regroup,mature as a club & team..
Great tho the cash is, a UCL tie in match 1 away to Real Madrid could have totally destroyed the club..for a season or two..
A real doing..
In other news,the franchise of lies keeps giving..
HH
Mullet and co 2 Mjalby left the club with no job to go to now he is probably a millionaire from the money he made from Celtic and yet when the going got tough the tough got going. He is not my idea of a good Celtic man. H.H.
Captain Beefheart, that’s a fair point about Juventus. We could have been less open and not played Ambrose. Brings me back to another point about experienced managers. Another more pragmatic coach wouldn’t have been daft enough to play as we did v Juve.
Who put that coaching team in place though and who keeps banging on about attacking football?
We should walk this group……..after all, I’ve heard we’ve just signed a new striker.
Let’s hope he’s not some unknown third choice diddy from some 2nd division european outfit!
Given the state of Scottish football, I think that most of us would accept that downsizing for Celtic is inevitable and maybe we end up with a hard core support of 30,000.
All we are seeing is that scenario being played out – and understandably, we don’t like it.
On a personal level, I don’t have a huge problem with any strategy provided its monitored and adjusted if it isn’t achieving the right goal.
I do think Ronny Deila is a worry – Tuesday was dreadful tactically and his lack of ability to react quickly to circumstances he didnt anticipate is a real concern.
Letting guys like Johnny Russell slip through our ever decreasing net is a worry – particularly when we then proceed to spend more money on the Balde’s and Pukki’s of this world.
Downsizing to soem degree is inevitable – but we should fix what is fixable. Kris Commons should stay…
Beamish 13.00 Loved that article By Donal Og. Made me laugh and made me sad in equal measure. I actually knew a couple of the lads he referred to, great Tims. That story is typical of many Irish towns. There were plenty of thriving Supporters Clubs and the Airports awash with familiar faces as we travelled. Alas the craic, the music and the romance is gone and what was a torrent is now reduced to a trickle. Our Spirit is bruised, never broken, so I can only pray for a bright brand new day, For the Club I love so well.
setting free the bears for res. 12 & oscar knox but saying no to cqn racists
13:43 on 29 August, 2014
tony donnelly
To be fair, eddieinkirkmichael did not grass you up re your drinking establishment choice. You had already confessed in writing several times on here. The “grass” lives in the same house as you.
___________________
Not that you where asked, but you want to be the wing man fine, the point is daftie, everyone in here knows where I drink and who I am, so what pleasure did he get out of that grassing,? I’m an open book, you tip tap about saying you know me, or you know about me, who are you anyway?
Oh and please don’t post back a 500 word response, as I really couldent give a monkeys who you are. And I can’t be arsed with yer bull#%^*
robobhoy
I’m sure Balde was signed from a second division Portugeuse club, Vittoria Guimares (Sp)
So we’ve nothing to worry about then!
:-)
Why all the negativity towards Tony Donnelly so he is happy the way things are run at Parkhead is that a crime ? He tells it like he sees it an honest broker he could just as easily play safe with his posts but thats not his style give the man a break and just for a little while think he may well be correct. H.H.
SFTB
The posts of eddieinkikmichael directed towards Tonydonnelly67 are a disgrace.
JJ
Will Astra drive through the VW sized hole in the ole Sieve?
The Battered Bunnet 13:42
Could stockpiling cash not also be a way or warding off any “hostile” buyers or at least jacking up an asking price?
Might make sense from DD’s perspective…
Robobhoy 13.46:
“I’ve heard we’ve just signed a new striker.
Let’s hope he’s not some unknown third choice diddy from some 2nd division european outfit!”
At least you gave yourself the chance to see the boy play before you came out with that.
JFH, Mjallby thought the strategy was a risk to Celtic. I think it is too. You think it’s tough. ..a time for steel. Mjallby earned a wage from Celtic and will be in line to earn more due to his reputation being enhanced. He will be paid the market rate for that.
You admit the situation is tough. The question is why? The answer isn’t because we could suffer an insolvency event btw.
I think we should just park the bus against the astra.
DBBIA
I hope you have not been spending all the time since the draw thinking of that one 0:-)
JJ
Astra could prove to be problematic on their artificial surface…
Not the new 3 or 4G stuff…it’s just the old astraturf.
Philbhoy
Listen, I’m not happy at being put out of the CL, but I’m also not surprised, these things happen, most had it happening in here before the game, I didn’t, we are where we are now and that’s that, I’ll be at the Europa games, and SPFL league games, but not at Scottish league cup games, or Scottish cup games, and haven’t been since them got back in Scottish football, a little more energy should be put into the scam that the SFL did this week regarding the seeding of clubs, rather than lambasting peter Lawwell and the Celtic board, but then again that’s the Hun agenda in here people don’t see, and they just follow what the Huns in here post, I’m telling you it’s working, and at an alarming pace.
Ex Ludo
13:42 on
29 August, 2014
Astra could be a problem at set pieces. They’re very good on corners.
I heard they tyre easily though. In fact the engine room of the team is exhaust ed